Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/95

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SURRENDER OF BARRADAS.
75

of the capitulation, the Spanish troops occupying the bar, fort, and town of Tampico were granted the honors of war, and allowed quarters at Ciudad Victoria till their reëmbarkation.[1] The sick and wounded remained in the hospitals, attended by Spanish surgeons. According to an official report of Teran from Pueblo Viejo, Santa Anna having gone back to Vera Cruz in bad health, 1,792 Spaniards reëmbarked between the 9th of November and the 11th of December. Thus ended this foolish and futile attempt to reconquer Mexico, which cost a heavy loss of life and the expenditure of $1,500,000. It was quite a different affair from the first attempt; but men like Cortés were not plentiful in Spain at this time.

The news of the Spanish surrender reached Mexico in the evening of the 20th of September, and was hailed with wild delight, displayed by the customary bell-ringing and illuminations. The president, Santa Anna, Teran, and others were objects of general praise. It seemed now as if party strife had come to an end.[2]

The defeat sustained by Barradas did not altogether put an end, at least for some time, to the project of reconquest, the king of Spain having been offered by

    10, coolly states that Santa Anna suffered two defeats at Barradas' hands, but the latter, in order to carry off the funds in his charge, concluded to surrender to the remnant of the Mexican troops! Barradas never went back to Cuba or Spain. He died abroad, poor and forsaken. Zavala, Revol. Méx., ii. 176-90; Boletin Oficial, nos 1-33; Suarez y Navarro, Hist. Méx., 142-87, 414-27; Centinela Fed., 1829, no. 121; Bustamante, Voz de la Patria, i. nos 23, 24, 28, 31-7, iv. nos 12, 33; Rivera, Hist. Jalapa, ii. 520-50; Martinez, Hist. Revol. Mex., i. 150-2; Méx. Mem. Guerra, 1830, 2; Alaman, Hist. Méj., v. 846-7; Zamacois, Hist. Méj., xi. 716-806.

  1. By a later arrangement, at the request of the Spanish commander, the town of Santa Catalina, Ozuluama, Tantima, Altamira, and Pánuco were substituted.
  2. The trophies captured were placed by decree of Feb. 19, 1834, in the national hall of representatives. Arrillaga, Recop., 1834, 60-1; Vallejo, Col. Doc., i. no. 34. On the 23d of May, 1835, the congress declared Santa Anna, for his services at Tampico, 'benemérito de la patria,' and further decreed that his name should be engraved on a pillar to be erected on the spot where the Spaniards surrendered, with this inscription: 'En las riberas del Pánuco afianzó la independencia nacional en 11 de Setiembre de 1829.' On the 24th of May, 1843, a decreo was issued to erect a monument at Tampico. Dublan and Lozano, Legis. Mex., ii. 511, 676, iii. 52, iv. 421-2, 559; Boletin, Ofic., nos 5, 15, 24.